What Causes Childhood Obesity?

So how does someone actually wind up obese? Well, the simplest explanation is that if you take in more energy (eat food) than you expend (physical activity), you will gain weight. But there are a number of different factors that can contribute negatively to the formula. For a select few, it truly is a matter of genetics. Your genes can affect things like your metabolic rate, your fat-storage hormones and your blood-glucose metabolism. In a nutshell, your genes determine how your body stores food as well as how it turns food into energy. We are all genetically programmed to gain weight when food is plentiful. It's instinctual. Our bodies are built to store energy in fat cells for times when food is scarce. But every body is different.Your genes come from your parents, so overweight parents are more likely to have overweight children than other parents. Even studies of adopted children have shown that their chances of becoming overweight have more to do with their birth parents than their adoptive parents.

However, even if you have "good" genes, you can become obese. And genetic causes of obesity cannot account for the recent surge in the epidemic. For that, we have to turn to more environmental causes.

Lack of physical activity or regular exercise

The average child today spends far less time engaged in physical activity than children 10, 15 and 20 years ago. What's changed? Computers. Television on demand. Video games. Today's youth are inundated with all sorts of reasons to sit still for hours at a time instead of getting up and doing something physical with their free time.

Also, there has been a decline in the number of children and adolescents who play after-school sports or extracurricular physical activity. More than anything else, this lack of regular exercise has created a younger generation that, for the first time in recorded history, has a shorter life expectancy than the generation before it.

Snacking, snacking, snacking

Many Americans eat the equivalent of four full meals a day, thanks to excessive snacking. And when we snack, we're not reaching for carrots and apples. Instead, it's junk food. In many ways, this is not all the kids’ fault. Schools are loaded with vending machines full of high-calorie snacks and sugary soft drinks. To make matters worse, children are practically inundated with television advertisements for unhealthy food. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation's study "Food for Thought: Television Food Advertising to Children", an average child age 2 to 7 will see more than 4,400 food ads in a year. Thirty-four percent of these ads will be for candy and snacks and another 10 percent for fast food.

The Fast-food Diet

Want an easy way to lose weight? Stop eating fast food. While many fast-food chains offer healthy alternatives, those aren't what people tend to order. Today's children and adolescents eat out a lot more than previous generations. The Kaiser Family Foundation's study found that in 1992, children ages 6 to 14 ate fast food an average of 157 million times each month. That number has only risen in the intervening years. Check out our section on Fast Food Safety and Nutrition within How Fast Food Works for more information on the realities of the fast-food diet.

Eating habits at home

All of these causes can be traced to your eating habits. Develop healthy eating habits and you'll be much more likely to remain a healthy weight. And where do we form our eating habits? At home.

If your parents are overweight or obese, you’ve probably been witnessing and mimicking their food habits your entire life. If children see their parents grab a cupcake or cookie instead of a piece of fruit, take their meals in front of the TV, eat too quickly, or engage in other unhealthy habits, they are more likely to imitate the behavior. This increases the chances that they will become overweight children, adolescents and eventually adults.

The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition, and is solely for informational purposes. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 or your local equivalent for all medical emergencies.